Antarctic moss returned to life after 1,500-year deep freeze

Moss that was frozen for 1,500 years beneath an ice sheet in Antarctica has been brought back to life, marking the longest life span for any known plant, researchers said Monday. The study in Current Biology describes the first time moss has been shown to survive for such an extended period of time. Previously, moss was known to be revivable after 20 years. And bacteria is the only other life form that is known to survive after thousands, even millions of years. The moss began to grow after a few weeks. Carbon-dating techniques showed that the original plants were at least 1,530 years old. “Although it would be a big jump from the current finding, this does raise the possibility of complex life forms surviving even longer periods once encased in permafrost or ice,” said Convey...more